The days at Hogwarts

After a pause, he added: "Maybe it's a mutation!"

"What about the small basilisk? Why did it disappear?" Loren asked.

"The extinction of magical creatures is not a rare thing. In fact, before Newt Scamander pushed for the introduction of the Magical Creatures Protection Act, magical creatures became extinct every year. Since the 14th century, Nico has witnessed the extinction of several magical creatures with his own eyes." Flamel sat back on the boiler swayingly.

The plan to mass-produce basilisk magic failed, which also meant that Loren's first alchemical invention plan failed.

Before leaving the Fantasy Book, Loren thought about St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Regarding the idea of ​​using Bloody Mary's mirror to treat the Longbottoms, Loren asked Flamel for his opinion.

Flamel said: "I don't recommend you to enter the deep consciousness of a mentally confused patient. No one knows what it is like. If the owner of the consciousness is hostile to you, it may cause harm to you."

"What if we allow the patient's relatives to enter the consciousness space? The patient will definitely not have hostility towards his relatives."

There really is such a book as Natural History, and it was indeed written in 77 AD.

Coincidentally, the description of the snake monster above has some similarities with the content in "On the Snake Catcher": There are strange snakes in the wilds of Yongzhou, which are black in color with white markings, and all the plants and trees they touch will die.

Chapter 221 Christmas Eve

On December 12, the clouds that had been piled up for more than half a month finally broke open, allowing the long-hidden sunlight to fall on the snow. The glittering light was reflected by the white snow, making it almost impossible to open your eyes.

It had been almost a week since the basilisk incident. The school board and the Ministry of Magic still hadn't sent anyone to investigate, and the matter didn't seem as urgent as Snape said.

Loren speculates that the Crabbe family is trying to smooth things over and find a way to exonerate Vincent Crabbe.

But all this had nothing to do with Loren and the others at school. They were immersed in the increasingly festive atmosphere, waiting for Christmas to come with great anticipation.

Hogwarts Castle, infirmary.

The sunlight shines in through the gridded glass, illuminating the entire room.

Madam Pomfrey moved the petrified Colin and Justin to the window and let them bask in the long-lost sunshine.

There was no one else in the infirmary, and Loren had pulled up the curtain of Hermione's cubicle, tied it into a bundle with a random bandage, so the sunlight shone unhindered on Hermione's bed.

In the warm and bright sunlight, each strand of the cat's hair sparkled with crystal light.

Hermione fulfilled her promise and reviewed the knowledge points of the Transfiguration Club with Loren, forcing him to recite the notes at her pace.

It was not convenient to turn the pages of the notebook with the paws curled up, so Hermione used her hands as book rests, and Loren turned the pages. The two of them leaned on the bedside shelf, shoulders to shoulders, heads together, and occasionally discussed the contents of the notebook in a low voice.

Bright and warm sunlight filled the room. The only sound in the quiet infirmary was the turning of pages of notebooks. After a long interval, the whispers of two people could be heard.

Although there was no one else in the school infirmary, they subconsciously lowered their voices.

The sun was warm, and perhaps it was the effect of the Polyjuice Potion, but after Hermione had been basking in the sun for a while, her eyelids began to droop.

"On stormy nights, the mixture in the crystal medicine bottle will turn blood red..." Loren read in a low voice, and suddenly felt the weight of a small head on his shoulders. The fluffy cat ears pressed against his cheeks, bringing an itchy touch.

Listening to Hermione's breathing slowly becoming longer, Loren raised his hand, gently pushed Hermione's head, and reminded her in a low voice: "Hey, we're reviewing, why did you fall asleep?"

Hermione made a thin gurgling sound in her throat, lazily, and it was obvious that she was already unconscious.

"How can you sleep while reviewing?" Loren twisted his body and bumped into her slightly.

"Don't move!" Hermione muttered. She couldn't figure out the situation, she just felt that the sunshine and soft cushions made sleeping extremely comfortable.

"That's what cats are like..." She mumbled, resting her head on Loren's shoulder and falling asleep in the warm sunshine.

For some reason, Loren suddenly felt very happy, just like the sunshine now. He also felt that the current scene was very suitable for sleeping. He supported himself on the bed and moved his body. Loren lifted the quilt slightly higher, and the two of them fell into a deep sleep together in the bright sunshine...

I don’t know how long it took, but Loren was the first to wake up from his sleep.

The originally bright golden sunlight has begun to turn yellow and its brightness has begun to diminish. The sun is slowly setting towards the hills in the west.

Hermione's breathing was still long, and small snoring sounds came out of her throat, sounding soft.

After watching for a while, Loren saw Hermione's long eyelashes tremble, but she did not open her eyes to wake up.

Hermione felt embarrassed. She had clearly offered to supervise Loren's review, but she ended up being the first to slack off and even fell asleep...

Damn it, this guy will definitely make fun of me. Hermione could feel his gaze, but she didn't open her eyes, pretending to be still asleep, trying to get away with it. She thought that after Loren left, she would wake up and pretend that this incident never happened.

Noticing that the breathing rhythm had changed, but the little witch was still pretending to be asleep, Loren pursed his lips and smiled silently.

Hermione didn't notice that a fluffy little tail stretched out from the quilt restlessly, hanging by the bed, and was still swaying, swaying, swaying...

"Are cats and tails really two different creatures? I want to study this." Loren said to himself, finding an excuse for his behavior.

He reached out his hand, picked up the long tail that was swaying constantly, and gently pinched it. Although it looked fluffy and had a certain volume, the fluffy hair was actually quite thin inside, and it was soft and seemed to have no strength.

Loren twisted it lightly, and the tail suddenly tensed, and slipped out of his hand with its smooth fur.

Loren, who was addicted to petting the cat, didn't think much about it and grabbed the cat's tail again and pulled it back.

...and slipped out again in a moment.

Loren noticed something was wrong and turned to look at Hermione who was supposed to be sleeping.

Hermione didn't know when she had opened her eyes, and her big round eyes stared at him without blinking, with confusion in her eyes.

Suddenly, Hermione tilted her head, controlled the tail to lift up, and took the initiative to get into his palm.

So Loren stroked the tail smoothly from the middle to the tip.

Hermione didn't say anything, so Loren pretended not to know and lowered his head seriously to play with his tail.

Until the platinum-yellow sunlight turned into bright red, dyeing a cloud across the sky and reflecting the red glow on the branches of the forbidden forest.

Hermione finally pushed him away in disgust and retracted her little tail into the quilt: "Pets are allowed in school. You can go to Diagon Alley and buy a cat. We saw one last time."

Loren stood up and looked at the sunset outside the window, then stretched out his sleepy body.

"Are you really not going to attend the Christmas dinner?" When Loren sat down again, he seemed to have completely forgotten his previous behavior and naturally started the next topic.

Hermione's body was much less hairy than it had been a week ago, but it certainly wouldn't be back to normal by Christmas dinner.

Poor skill at changing the subject... Hermione rolled her eyes in disdain and said unhappily, "It depends. If the cat's features aren't so obvious, I can wear a hooded robe to cover them up."

Loren nodded: "Of course it's okay!"

"whispering sound!"

The sun sets and night gradually falls.

Compared to school, the Christmas holiday for adult wizards starts later and of course the holiday is shorter.

In the Ministry of Magic, people from various departments handed over the remaining work to colleagues on holiday duty. Because of the upcoming Christmas holiday, everyone said goodbye to each other with bright smiles on their faces.

All the staff of the Ministry of Magic, big and small, received invitations to the dinner party at Malfoy Manor. Those on duty could not attend the party, but they received exquisite Christmas gift boxes from Malfoy.

Everyone praised Mr. Lucius Malfoy's generosity.

Barty Crouch finished a day's work. Even though he was physically and mentally exhausted, his short grey hair was still combed meticulously. A whole day's work did not affect the image of the Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

After handing over his work, Barty Crouch started his journey home. The golden gate slid open gently. As soon as he stepped into the elevator, he saw Dolores Umbridge in a pink dress and a pink hairpin. She had a girlish smile on her face.

Crouch frowned slightly and had to admit that even though he could speak Mermaid, Turkey, and even Troll, and was proficient in more than 200 languages, Crouch still didn't know what to say when facing this woman.

Before he could speak, Umbridge took the initiative to help him press the floor, and greeted politely in a girlish voice: "Mr. Crouch, I wish you a happy Christmas in advance."

Crouch nodded: "You too, Merry Christmas."

Before the elevator fell into complete silence, Umbridge asked, "Sir, I heard that you rejected Malfoy's invitation to dinner. Why is that?"

Without waiting for Crouch to answer, Umbridge continued in a sweet voice: "I looked at the duty list, you are not on the list of people left behind. I remember that your wife has passed away for several years. As for your son...ha, so I am very curious, why did you refuse Malfoy's invitation to the dinner party?"

Before she finished speaking, Crouch's teeth were clenched together, the blood vessels in his temples bulged, and invisible anger raged in his heart.

Loosening his clenched fists, Crouch said calmly, "I just want more time to rest. After all, the International Magical Cooperation Department has enough social activities on a daily basis."

"What about you?" Crouch asked, "Why did Ms. Umbridge take the initiative to apply to stay on duty at the Ministry and would rather be on duty than refuse Malfoy's invitation?"

"Hahahaha!" Umbridge's shrill laughter was particularly piercing in the closed elevator. "Of course not. I just thought that if I took the initiative to stay, it would allow one more colleague to take a vacation and enjoy a happy time with family."

Her words were full of boasting and pride. She was the one who led the introduction of the Anti-Werewolf Act and had recently become very popular among the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic. She was determined to get the vacant position of Senior Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Magic.

The current gesture of caring for lower-level employees is only intended to reduce obstacles to promotion.

"After all, I have always been such a considerate person towards my colleagues," Umbridge said hypocritically.

The chain clattered, and the elevator finally arrived. Crouch hurriedly stepped out of the elevator. Umbridge followed behind him, as if she wanted to say something to him.

Crouch's eyes moved and noticed the only person in the hall, Arthur Weasley from the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department of the Ministry of Magic.

Thank Merlin... Crouch muttered in his heart, and quickly responded, saying warmly: "Oh, look who is in such a hurry to go home? Arthur Weasley, your family must have a very lively Christmas, which is really enviable."

Looking at the Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Arthur, who had just got off work, was a little confused. When did he become so familiar with Crouch?

But the Weasleys have many children and a happy family, which is well-known in the Ministry of Magic. If someone comes up to say something good, you can't just push it back.

Not noticing that Umbridge's face was gradually becoming gloomy, Mr. Weasley smiled and said, "That's impossible. We plan to go to Egypt to visit our kid this holiday. Let the other children stay in Hogwarts for Christmas. They are probably having a blast at school."

Crouch remembered Vincent Crabbe's affairs. Although that was not his responsibility, he knew a little about it.

Anyway, the important thing now is to put Umbridge aside. He took the initiative to show concern: "Something seems to have happened in Hogwarts recently. It's better to bring the children back."

Mr. Crouch is such a good man, but his son, Crouch Jr.... Arthur didn't think any more about it. He smiled innocently and said, "Don't forget, Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts. I believe there is no place safer than school."

"Yeah, that makes sense. When are you planning to leave?"

"Leave early tomorrow morning."

"Have you completed the immigration formalities?"

"It's been prepared a week in advance, don't worry."

Crouch and Arthur walked away talking to each other. Umbridge stared at their backs with a gloomy look, and suddenly she smiled a sweet smile of relief.

Who cares about your attitude, power is the most important...

The thick black night slowly enveloped the entire world. The weather was very good today, and there were no thick clouds covering the sky at night. The cold light of the stars and the moon floated down from the sky, coldly illuminating the snowy world.

Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, is brightly lit tonight.

Thousands of candles taller than people floated in the air, emitting gorgeous lights of various colors. Food filled the long table, the air was filled with the sweet aroma of wine, and young men and women were dancing to their heart's content.

The Veela Dance Troupe, the Weird Sisters Band, the Quidditch team players... the generous Mr. Lucius Malfoy fully displays the wealth of the Malfoy family.

While the dinner was in full swing, on a remote island far out to sea, a completely different scene was taking place.

In a special cell in Azkaban, a fine silk net blocked the entire room, and from time to time, strong strands of electric light flashed across it.

Swollen and covered with bruises, Pettigrew Peter lay on the floor in the middle of the room with his eyes blank. His beard and hair looked like they had been gnawed by a dog, and there were clear shoe prints on the bald skin on his head. He looked disheveled and unkempt.

The cell door suddenly opened, and a figure in a cloak floated in from outside. His whole body looked like a corpse that had been soaked in water, and it exuded a rotten and muddy smell.

The Dementors are here again... Peter Pettigrew felt a chill in his heart and trembled all over. Thinking of the torture of the Dementors, he tried his best to suppress the urge to turn into a mouse to hide.

Because if he used the Animagus to avoid the soul torture of the Dementors, he would be physically tortured by the guarding wizards, and that was how he got the scars all over his body.

Unable to completely avoid the Dementors, nor allowing the guards to beat him to death, after nearly a year of torture, Peter Pettigrew gradually figured out a way to survive.

In the room, Peter Pettigrew endured the pain and let the Dementors suck the happy emotions and memories from his mind. Just before he was about to lose consciousness, his body began to twist and shrink into a mouse with missing fingers and withered hair.

How ironic! The happiest memories that come to mind the most are the time spent with Prongs and the others... Wormtail thought sadly before falling into a coma again.

The food in front of him suddenly disappeared, and the Dementor floating in the air had a short circuit in his brain. He didn't understand the situation at all. He waited there for a while, and finally left reluctantly.

After the Dementor walked away, a figure in a considerate suit walked into the cell, stayed for less than a minute, and then came out with a look of disgust.

The opportunity was rare, and he acted quickly.

From a distance, an ordinary wizard guard who was waiting outside the cell door came forward. He did not see his boss tightening his pockets.

The young guard smiled and flattered, "Don't worry, Deputy Director. Mr. Moody specifically told us that we will definitely keep an eye on him."

Upon hearing this, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Magic's Prison Department burst into anger. He shouted in a rough voice: "Moody, Moody! Moody! Not to mention that he has retired, when will he, a member of the Department of Law Enforcement, be able to be in charge of Azkaban? Or do you want to follow him and become an Auror?"

The young guard was confused, not knowing why the deputy director suddenly got so angry. But being an Auror was not as comfortable as slacking off in Azkaban, so he quickly bowed his head and admitted his mistake: "I'm sorry, sir."

The deputy minister's tone softened a lot, and his expression was not so stiff anymore: "Don't do unnecessary things in the future. As long as the rat is still in the ward, don't worry about it even if it's dead. He is a minion of the mysterious man lurking for many years. Who knows if he has any trouble, don't you think?"

"You are right, sir, we will not do anything unnecessary in the future."

The deputy minister nodded and said with gentle concern: "If I remember correctly, you are getting married next year, why don't you spend Christmas with your fiancée?"

The young guard scratched his head and said, "I want to save more money for my honeymoon next year."

"Um, Avery's daughter, right? Hahaha..."

The festive atmosphere was rising in the sea of ​​joy. No one noticed that the wound on the disabled mouse's front paw seemed to be new, and its fur had become much cleaner...

Chapter 222: Banquet